The air in the warehouse grew impossibly heavy as Steve stepped forward, his presence asserting itself with an intensity that left no room for doubt. His aura surged outward, an invisible wave of energy radiating from his body.

The pressure was immediate, suffocating. The weaker individuals in the room—Jessica, Jordan, and Joseph—felt it like an iron grip squeezing their lungs. Even Donald’s confident sneer faltered, replaced by a flicker of unease.

Steve’s voice was cold and steady as he spoke. “Are you sure you want to continue this?”

He was trying to get out of this situation without battle, if possible. Besides, his reputation would also instill fear.

Dravik, the hulking Fire Ascendant, stepped forward in response, his every movement deliberate and brimming with confidence. The room seemed to darken as his aura flared to life, a deep, oppressive heat radiating from him like an invisible inferno.

"What about now?" he said.

His energy clashed against Steve’s with a force that sent a shockwave rippling through the warehouse. Dust and debris fell from the walls, and the fluorescent lights flickered.

The auras clashed like two storms fighting for control. For the others in the room, breathing became a struggle. Kaida and Verran exchanged uneasy glances but held their positions, their bodies tense as they watched the standoff unfold.

Jessica clung to Jordan’s arm, her face pale and her breathing labored. “What… is this?” she gasped, her voice barely audible.

Jordan gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stay upright despite the oppressive energy and the pain in his abdomen. “It’s… their strength,” he said, his voice strained. “This is...ridiculous.”

His mind wandered to the day when he told Ethan about the robbery that happened in the neighborhood. He jokingly said that maybe it was done by people with superpowers.

Turned out they existed.

Lucien, standing near the edge of the confrontation, remained remarkably composed. His sharp eyes darted between Steve and Dravik, analyzing every nuance of their clash.

"Interesting..." he said with a confident and excited smile.

By all accounts, Lucien was supposed to be a Low Two-Star Ascendant—a member of the younger generation with potential but lacking the raw power of his older counterparts. Yet, as the oppressive auras pressed down on the room, Lucien stood steady, unaffected.

Steve’s sharp gaze flicked toward Lucien for a moment, his thoughts racing. 'How is he not reacting? He’s supposed to be weaker than this. Unless…'

Steve’s focus snapped back to Dravik as the latter took a deliberate step forward, the concrete beneath his feet cracking under the weight of his energy. Dravik’s deep-set eyes glinted with challenge as flames flickered at his fingertips.

“You’re strong, Steve,” Dravik said, his voice a low rumble that seemed to reverberate through the warehouse. “But don’t think for a second that you can walk out of here without consequences.”

Steve’s jaw tightened, his aura flaring in response. The pressure in the room spiked again, the clash of their energies sending a fresh wave of suffocating force through the space.

Despite the chaos, Steve’s thoughts lingered on Lucien. He stood in the warehouse, completely still and calm. He had entered without anyone noticing him at all, with no energy or presence to detect. The battle happening around him had no impact on him; it seemed of no concern to him.

Steve’s mind raced. 'Is it a technique? Some kind of advanced cultivation? Or… could it be advanced stealth technology?'

He strongly believed that something was off. This is not only the thing regarding Lucien but everything as a whole. For someone who had a reputation for never being alone, Lucien’s isolation was glaringly out of place. Mike and Taison, his usual shadows, were nowhere to be seen.

Steve’s sharp instincts warned him to tread carefully. Whatever was masking Lucien’s aura could just as easily be concealing his allies. If Mike and Taison were nearby, waiting for the right moment to strike, the odds would shift dramatically—and not in his favor.

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“Well, well,” Lucien said finally, breaking the tense silence. His voice was calm, almost amused. “It’s rare to see such a display of power. But tell me, Steve—are you really prepared to fight here? Against all of us?”

Steve’s eyes narrowed. He looked straight into Lucien's eyes. “I can easily kill all of you,” he said. His voice was full of killing intent. “I will deal with anyone standing in my way.”

Lucien’s lips quirked into a faint smile. “Confident, aren’t you?”

Dravik’s flames flared brighter as he took another step forward, his aura pressing harder against Steve’s. “Let’s see how confident you are when I turn this place into ash,” he growled.

Steve held his ground, his aura refusing to yield. Despite all of the stakes and risks—he had a duty. Jessica and Jordan's safety was his responsibility. He would not back down without them.

Even as the tension in the room grew, Steve stayed focused. He analyzed every movement and word. He could not afford to make a single mistake—not when innocent lives were at risk.

And in the back of his mind, a question lingered. What is Lucien really planning?

Steve glanced toward Jessica and Jordan, his sharp eyes briefly softening as he addressed them. “Get him to the side,” he said firmly, gesturing to Jordan, who was struggling to remain upright. “I’ll handle this and get your father.”

"But..." Jessica hesitated, her tear-streaked face filled with worry as she glanced at her father, who lay slumped between Kaida and Verran. She bit her lip, unsure if she could leave him like that.

“Now, Jessica,” Steve’s voice snapped her out of her hesitation. His towering figure radiated confidence, his calm demeanor almost soothing despite the chaos. He gave her a faint smile. “Trust me. I’ll get him back.”

Jessica nodded, swallowing hard as she turned to Jordan. She slipped her arm around him, supporting his weight as they moved toward the edge of the warehouse. Jordan groaned, his face pale and drenched in sweat, but he didn’t resist.

As they reached the side, Jessica’s gaze remained fixed on her father. Her heart clenched at the thought of him being caught in the crossfire of such terrifying power. She gripped Jordan’s arm tighter as if to steady herself against the overwhelming fear.

Jordan, for his part, could barely comprehend what was unfolding before him. The sheer magnitude of power emanating from Steve and Dravik was beyond anything he’d ever imagined. His thoughts raced, questions piling up with no clear answers. 'What the hell is going on? How can people wield power like this?'

A single thought broke through his chaos. 'Ethan. He has to come.'

Jordan clenched his fists. He remembered the text he had sent. He hoped Ethan had received it and was on his way with help. If Ethan didn’t come or if he came alone, Jordan wasn’t sure they would make it out alive.

Steve stood tall in the center of the room, making a strong impression. His calm smile remained, but his eyes burned with determination.

He reached over his shoulder and pulled out the large combat axe from his back. The blade shone in the dim light. Its surface had intricate patterns that glowed softly with earthy energy.

“I'm giving you a last chance to back off,” Steve warned. His voice was low and steady. “Let them go, or I’ll show you why they call my family’s secret art the Mountain Breaker.”

Dravik laughed deeply, and the sound felt almost threatening, like the flames on his sword. The fire moved and crackled, creating strange shadows on his heavily tattooed arms. “Big words,” he sneered. “Let’s see if you can back them up.”

Dravik raised his sword, the flames surging with renewed intensity as he channeled his fire elemental energy into the weapon. The air around him shimmered with heat, distorting the space as if the very air itself were burning.

Steve’s smile didn’t waver. He raised his axe, the faint glow on its surface intensifying as he channeled his own elemental power. The ground shook slightly beneath him, and small cracks spread out from his feet. The air felt heavy, pressing down on everyone in the room.

Jessica stood to the side, gripping Jordan’s arm tightly. She watched as the two Ascendants got ready to fight. Her breath caught in her throat as she tried to understand the overwhelming scene. She glanced at her father, who was still tied up and hurt in the middle of the room. "Please… let him be okay."

Jordan, too, was transfixed by the scene. The raw power emanating from Steve and Dravik was unlike anything he had ever witnessed. They seemed to have gone beyond being human, becoming powerful forces of nature.

He took a deep breath, thinking again about Ethan. 'You’d better show up, Cole. I have a lot to ask you.'

Dravik made the first move, lunging forward with a roar as he swung his flaming sword in a wide arc. The heat was suffocating, the flames leaving streaks of fire in the air as the blade hurtled toward Steve.

Steve met the attack head-on, his axe moving with surprising speed and precision. The clash of their weapons created a strong shockwave that shook the walls of the warehouse and filled the air with dust. Sparks flew as fire collided with earth, showing the raw power of the two elements.

“Is that all you have?” Steve asked, staying calm as he resisted Dravik’s strong push.

Dravik snarled, his flames flaring brighter as he poured more energy into his attack. “You’re in over your head, old man!” he growled.

Steve smirked, his grip on the axe tightening. “We’ll see about that.”

The ground beneath them cracked and buckled as Steve activated the Mountain Breaker. The axe pulsed with energy, each strike carrying the force of a landslide.

Dravik, despite his strength, was forced to take a step back as the relentless power of Steve’s attacks began to wear him down.

Jessica and Jordan watched the battle with a mix of awe and fear. The clash of powers filled the warehouse with loud roars, and the air was heavy with energy and tension.